Stress Recovery of Campus Street Trees as Visual Stimuli on Graduate Students in Autumn

Abstract

Human stress recovery response to landscapes is under discussion in Chinese settings. The present study aimed to clarify the stress recovery effects of campus street trees on graduate students in autumn. A total of 150 participants (23.75 ± 1.01 years old) completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and were then randomly assigned to view one of five virtual environments, including the street trees Sophora japonica, Ginkgo biloba, Platanus acerifolia, Koelreuteria paniculata, and the indoor environment (control). Physiological responses were measured by R-R interval and electroencephalography (EEG). Psychological responses were examined through the state version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS). Results showed that R-R intervals significantly increased while viewing all street trees. Both alpha and beta brainwave activities while viewing S. japonica and G. biloba were remarkably higher than those while viewing P. acerifolia and K. paniculata. The STAI-S scores significantly decreased, and the positive PRS scores were registered after viewing street trees. We concluded that a brief virtual visual experience of campus street trees in autumn has stress recovery effects on graduate students, and the different levels of stress recovery are associated with different types of street trees.

Effect of Fragrant Primula Flowers on Physiology and Psychology in Female College Students: An Empirical Study

“…This tends to infer that states of relaxation and concentration can occur simultaneously to some extent. These findings are consistent with related research on emotional changes caused by environmental contact, including virtual visual stimulation experiments ( Guo et al, 2020 ), walking in a bamboo forest and a city environment ( Hassan et al, 2018b ), and horticultural activity ( Hassan et al, 2018a ), etc. These studies consistently reported higher mean alpha and beta values, reflecting relatively higher levels of relaxation and attention.…”

Association between the Psychological Effects of Viewing Forest Landscapes and Trait Anxiety Level

“…If there is green space within walking distance of the residence, it can lead to an increase in the longevity of senior citizens [ 13 ]. As a more direct effect, contact with nature promotes psychological restoration [ 16 ] and reduces stress [ 17 , 18 ]. Moreover, brief walking in an urban green space, as opposed to that in a city area, induces psychological as well as physiological relaxation, as evidenced by suppressed sympathetic nervous system activity, improved parasympathetic nervous system activity, improved mood state, reduced anxiety levels, and decreased heart rate [ 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

Effects of Variations in Color and Organ of Color Expression in Urban Ornamental Bamboo Landscapes on the Physiological and Psychological Responses of College Students

“…Guo et al reported that Ginkgo biloba and Platanus acerifolia, both of which have golden yellow leaves, showed significant differences in stress recovery whereas Ginkgo biloba and Sophora japonica, which both have gray-brown bark but different leaf colors, showed similar ability to decrease stress. However, that study did not consider the possibility of psychological effects caused by different colors on the trunk [55]. In addition, Kuper found that people prefer flowering plants or red, yellow, and autumn-colored foliage, which also have increased psychophysiological effects [56], while Kaufman and Lohr demonstrated that people prefer trees with green and red leaves to those with orangebrown leaves [52].…”